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Dead Foot Collective
Essays
Contribute
Our Team
About
Essays
Contribute
Our Team
About
To Climb is to Live
Keely Dickes Owen Clarke 6/25/21 Keely Dickes Owen Clarke 6/25/21

To Climb is to Live

A reflection on climbing, life, and finding meaning.

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On Traveling Alone
Mia Baumann Owen Clarke 6/18/21 Mia Baumann Owen Clarke 6/18/21

On Traveling Alone

My journey to find comfort in discomfort, learning that you can be alone without being lonely.

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Early Mornings, Slowing Down and Gratitude
Julie Lebreton Owen Clarke 6/11/21 Julie Lebreton Owen Clarke 6/11/21

Early Mornings, Slowing Down and Gratitude

Being a morning person sucks. Scratch that. Being a morning person is hard, but rewarding.

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Winter Blues
Aoife Broad Owen Clarke 6/4/21 Aoife Broad Owen Clarke 6/4/21

Winter Blues

Seasonal depression’s annual kick up the ass.

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An Ode to the Bicycles I May Never Ride Again
Robyn Yzelman Owen Clarke 5/28/21 Robyn Yzelman Owen Clarke 5/28/21

An Ode to the Bicycles I May Never Ride Again

Finding meaning in the aftermath of pain.

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Why Everyone Should Ride Motorcycles
Owen Clarke Owen Clarke 5/7/21 Owen Clarke Owen Clarke 5/7/21

Why Everyone Should Ride Motorcycles

It’s dangerous, yeah. But that inherent risk also forces us to face our mortality and live a little more authentically.

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Daily Adventure and the Power of a Quest
Gentry Patterson Owen Clarke 4/30/21 Gentry Patterson Owen Clarke 4/30/21

Daily Adventure and the Power of a Quest

The power of quests as a framework for creating meaning in your life.

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Speaking with Strangers
Colleen Edwards Owen Clarke 4/16/21 Colleen Edwards Owen Clarke 4/16/21

Speaking with Strangers

Loneliness doesn’t have to be something you need to fix.

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Frames of Happiness
Andrine Theiss, Franzi Theisen Owen Clarke 4/9/21 Andrine Theiss, Franzi Theisen Owen Clarke 4/9/21

Frames of Happiness

Thoughts between friends on a life well-lived.

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My Toolbelt
Owen Clarke Owen Clarke 4/2/21 Owen Clarke Owen Clarke 4/2/21

My Toolbelt

Three tactics I use to stay stoked and stave off depression.

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Letter Lover
Aoife Broad Owen Clarke 3/26/21 Aoife Broad Owen Clarke 3/26/21

Letter Lover

We’re sick of Zoom. Why don’t we write letters instead?

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Newer Posts

Recent Essays

Essays
Blueberry Trees
Carlina Grillo
Jan 9, 2026
Blueberry Trees
Carlina Grillo
Jan 9, 2026

A familiar dream.

Carlina Grillo
Jan 9, 2026
Personal Growth
Ryan Gossen
Nov 21, 2025
Personal Growth
Ryan Gossen
Nov 21, 2025

Growth doesn't end with youth, it just gets weirder.

Ryan Gossen
Nov 21, 2025
Tilting Skyward
Ryleigh Norgrove
Nov 7, 2025
Tilting Skyward
Ryleigh Norgrove
Nov 7, 2025

In a season when everything felt paper-thin, a novice climb up Mt. Adams became less peakbagging and more an instinctive step towards staying alive.

Ryleigh Norgrove
Nov 7, 2025
Common Fate
Ryan Gossen
Oct 23, 2025
Common Fate
Ryan Gossen
Oct 23, 2025

How I was shaped by the insanity of driving.

Ryan Gossen
Oct 23, 2025
The Tail End of the Head Beginning
Owen Clarke
Oct 10, 2025
The Tail End of the Head Beginning
Owen Clarke
Oct 10, 2025

An account of my Saturday and Sunday.

Owen Clarke
Oct 10, 2025
Fashion Forewarned
David Whalen
Sep 26, 2025
Fashion Forewarned
David Whalen
Sep 26, 2025

A retrospect of style and identity.

David Whalen
Sep 26, 2025
The Airplane Man
Teddy Dondanville
Jul 25, 2025
The Airplane Man
Teddy Dondanville
Jul 25, 2025

And why you should not run in airports.

Teddy Dondanville
Jul 25, 2025
Watching Geese
Kevin Ryan
May 2, 2025
Watching Geese
Kevin Ryan
May 2, 2025

Pondering the tides of friendship.

Kevin Ryan
May 2, 2025
Why Are You So Quiet?
Colleen Edwards
Apr 18, 2025
Why Are You So Quiet?
Colleen Edwards
Apr 18, 2025

I’ve spent much of my life running from part of myself. Now, at 29, I’m finally learning to embrace it.

Colleen Edwards
Apr 18, 2025
How to Fold a Paper Crane
Matthew Polson
Apr 4, 2025
How to Fold a Paper Crane
Matthew Polson
Apr 4, 2025

A guided meditation.

Matthew Polson
Apr 4, 2025
Seasons of Healing
Caroline Gibbons
Mar 21, 2025
Seasons of Healing
Caroline Gibbons
Mar 21, 2025

The author receives lessons from nature as she reflects on her recovery from a traumatic brain injury.

Caroline Gibbons
Mar 21, 2025
Climbing in the Bible Belt
David Whalen
Jan 31, 2025
Climbing in the Bible Belt
David Whalen
Jan 31, 2025

Parables from the Chattanoogan climbing scene.

David Whalen
Jan 31, 2025

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